Author's Note

So, obviously I didn't get this posted on time. I do apologize, and I will say now that my time is limited between college work and playing my new PS4…On that note, I am a proper gamer. :L Still, after next week, I should have more time on my hands as I get my holidays. But for now, enjoy the latest chapter!

"So this is Lothering? Huh, I thought it would've been more…burned to the ground with bodies lying everywhere."

Culann chuckled and shook his head. "No, it was merely abandoned. The people who rebuilt this place after the fifth blight began seeing things, and one by one, they vanished. There hasn't been a single soul here since, although the tales of what lay here appear to have traversed oceans." Glancing at Mira, he allowed a smirk to worm its way onto his features, before carrying on into the village – which appeared to be left untouched by the blight. Each building appeared brand new, and even the land around it was green with life. It was at odds with the rest of Fereldan.

"Something doesn't seem right about this place," Aedan piped up, shuffling along behind the two. It was obvious that he was still recovering, but at least he was now awake.

"You would be correct. There is something deeply wrong about this place. I believe it to be a tear in the veil between this world and the Fade. That's why the darkspawn avoid this place. It belongs to the demons and spirits now." Culann glanced towards the town's chantry, before quickly moving towards a stone bridge. "We'll stay in that inn for tonight." He pointed to a building on the other side of the bridge.

"We're staying here?! In a town you just said was home to demons?" Mira laughed and shook her head, while Aedan merely stared at the chantry.

"Don't worry. Demons aren't very fond of me…Neither is any spirit for that matter. They'll keep their distance so long as we don't do anything to provoke them," Culann replied, moving to the inn and opening the door.

"Aren't you a mage? Mages attract demons like the Old God's attract darkspawn. If anything, we'd be safer sleeping nowhere near you. Mira and I should sleep in the chantry," Aedan argued, gaining a look of irritation from Culann while Mira looked back at the chantry and then at the inn.

"I am not your typical mage, as I do not attract demons. I repel them. I'm not sure how, or why, but I do. And as for going to the chantry, that would be a bad idea. That's where the more powerful demons reside. I can sense them, which is why I chose the inn," Culann explained, before stepping into the building. "That, and it has ale…Maker please let there be ale."

The inside of the inn was as appeared more haunted than the outside. The place was in excellent condition, as if it had been cleaned that very day. Culann snapped his fingers and a fire roared to life in the fireplace, giving the place some light before the candles themselves lit up, making the place seem less…creepy. Mira clapped her hands and cheered, while Aedan shook his head and made his way over to one of the tables in the center of the room, grabbing a chair and planting himself on it.

"Having a mage does have its perks," Mira joked, gaining a smile from Culann who was now behind the counter and filling a mug with the alcoholic contents of a wooden barrel.

"If my father was here, he would've told me off for using magic like that. He always told me only to use magic when my own strength wouldn't suffice. My mother, on the other hand, had no such problems." He chuckled and took a sip from his mug, before grabbing another and filling it after a look from Mira.

"Would you tell me about them? Your parents, I mean?" Mira asked, and this question was enough to rouse Aedan from whatever dream he was having.

Culann remained silent for a moment, only talking after he handed over the mug of ale to Mira. "My father…was a Grey Warden. I don't know much about his life before I was born, only that he came from a noble house here in Fereldan. My mother was an apostate. She taught me how to use my magic, which was easier than expected when she learned that my body couldn't be invaded by demons. Nor would they seek me out in the Fade."

"I was barely into my teenage years when my father passed away. He went into the Deep Roads, as was Grey Warden tradition. My mother wasn't an emotional woman, but she wept for weeks after he left. And that…that was when she appeared. A woman my mother and father had been running from ever since they first met. She was my grandmother."

Author's Note

Dun dun DUN! I apologize about the length, but I wanted to get this chapter out as soon as possible before I forgot about it. :L So, have you guessed who Culann is yet? What about his parents? Surely any Dragon Age fans can figure it out without too much trouble. ;) Anyway, I hope you enjoyed the brief insight into Culann's past and I look forward to seeing those lovely reviews! :D

P.S. My inspiration has been running low because new ideas have been forming in my idea (A curse, I assure you), mainly ideas revolving around The Originals and Supernatural. I may write a sort of…"pilot" chapter for both to see what people think, but by no means am I giving up this. I've spent too damn long thinking up ideas for this story! :L Anyway, rant..thingy over. Good luck!